East Lake, Florida. Santa isn't the only one with a workshop full of helpers in the toy industry. The East Lake community had its own magic tree shop, but instead of elves, it was retirees.
"I came here, I didn't know anything," Teresa Burke said. "I was sharpening toys a few weeks ago, now I can run any car here."
Burke is one of hundreds of volunteers who have donated their time and talent to The Toy Makers of East Lake. Cutting, drilling, grinding - everything in this workshop is done by hand.
“On the first day, I thought this was Santa's workshop,” he said.
Each game requires exactly 36 steps, and the only material used is good old wood.
"This is the game I grew up playing, it doesn't require batteries," said George Chapman. “You are not going to leave, and for me the best thing is that children are children. They can't handle all the phone and email work."
Like Santa Claus, nonprofits are preparing for the busiest time of the year by handing out toys to the kids who need them most.
"So they went to the hospital, to the police department, to the fire department, to Ronald McDonald's house," Burke said. 700 toys were sent to Ukraine. We sent 500 toys to Kentucky for flood victims.”
Creativity is constantly evolving, from dinosaurs to ducks, sharks and over 80 models, and the number is growing. Toys are delivered to almost 20,000 needy children every year.
The creators of this game claim that a wall of gratitude is all they need to know that their hard work matters.
“It warms the heart. You are touching children who have nothing at all or who are in a very stressful situation,” Burke said.
The creators of Eastlake games are always happy to welcome new volunteers, regardless of their age. For more information visit their website.
